EMPIRE'S EX-SOLDIERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17661, 23 December 1920, Page 7

EMPIRE'S EX-SOLDIERS.

CAPETOWN CONFERENCE. SECURING CO-OPERATION. THE DOMINION'S DELEGATES. i (£Y TELEGRAPH. —FRESS ASSUCIATION. J • WELLINGTON. The New Zealand Returned Soldiers' ; Association has nominated Mr. C. W. , I Batten (Wellington) and Mr. W. E. L«ad- •, I ley (Christrhurch) as its representatives at the conference of ex-sold er organisa- ; tions of the Empire, to be held in Caps- . town in February, under the presidency of Field-Marshal" Earl Haig. The countries concerned will be Great Britain, Canada. South Africs, Australia, and New Zealand, and the delegates will represent ' I 14 separate organisations. ' The objects aimed at by the gathering , | wi 1 be : —(1) Unification and amp'ificr.tion • I of pension, land, repatriation, and ir.imi- . | gration policies : ' (2) betterment of ev- ' i sold-ers" lot throughout the Empire : i.3) j amalgamation of 'nil Empire ex-soldier-:' J organisations to the end that :i real hark- ; i bone for the League of Nations mav be , formed; (4) organisation of wars * and . means by which the Empire's ex-so'.diors mav best continue to serve it. The grand council of the League of Comrades (South Africa) and the public of South Africa have decided to pav the , expenses of Earl Haig's visit to the I. l nion, , and also t<-> defray the exnenses of all the' other delegates for the 14 day? during ' which the conference will deliberate. ! The sending of two delegates from New ; Zealand R.S.A. hinges upon whether the ' Government will pay their travelling and 1 incidental expenses. It has been pointed ■ out to the Cabinet that the sending of • these delegates would be an excellent • advertisement for the Dominion, as they w-ould be able to illustrate the fact that New Zealand's repatriation policy his been the most successful in the world. The Government h»s been requested to pay the cost from the canteen funds t-till available, and a favourable reply is- looked I j for aim est immediately from the Prim? I I Minister and the Minister fur Defence. , If the Government ogrse«, and Messrs. i Batten and Leadley are able to secure the necessarv leave and accept nomination. they will depart for Capetown early in the New Year.